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Where can higher degree research at ADRI take YOU?

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:38:00 +1100

ADRI sits down with PhD candidate, Mathew Turner (whose principal supervisor is ADRI Director, Prof David Lowe) for a brief chat about his recent success in applying for a grant that allows him to undertake research in Germany...

ADRI: First of all, congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about the grant?

Mat: I’ve been successful in applying for a 'Research Grant for Doctoral Candidates' from the DAAD - a German government agency, translates to 'German Academic Exchange Service'. Through a competitive process they offer a number of scholarships each year to students around the world wishing to undertake research in Germany. More details can be found at: http://ic.daad.de/sydney/researchDAADsships.htm

ADRI: Why is it important for you to do this research abroad?

Mat: I need to conduct archival research in Germany for my PhD. Basically I’m looking at the role of German historians as expert witnesses in Holocaust perpetrator trials conducted in Germany from the late 1950s, to see how it helped to shape Holocaust historiography. Through archival research and examining original trial documents, I’m going to scrutinise how their work as expert witnesses fundamentally guided the construction of influential historical publications in the field of Holocaust studies. Extensive archival research in Germany, and consulting leading historians over there, is a key part of my research.

ADRI: How has working with ADRI helped you along your PhD journey?

Mat: I missed on this opportunity last year, when I was at an early stage of my candidature. In 2012, however, Deakin provided me with a fieldwork grant to conduct four weeks of archival research in Germany in the middle of last year, which built a number of important contacts and developed my project considerably. As a result my application for a DAAD scholarship this time was strengthened through the formal support of two eminent German Professors, two research institutes, and a German federal archive.

As a DAAD scholarship holder, Mat will be conducting further research in a number of places throughout Germany, including (though not limited to): the Institut für Zeitgeschichte (in Munich), Fritz Bauer Institut (in Frankfurt), Bundesarchiv (in Ludwigsburg and Koblenz). He and his family will be based at Jena, in Germany, and he'll be working under the supervision of Professor Norbert Frei. Professor Frei is a leading expert in his field of study and a prominent German historian who has provided generous guidance for Mat's research since mid-2011.

Get clued in like Mat: see how ADRI can help you pursue your higher degree research.